Handheld computing devices such as personal digital assistants or handheld computers generally provide some combination of personal information management, database functions, word processing and spreadsheets, as well as communications network connectivity, internet connectivity, voice memo recording, and telephony functions. Further, handheld computing devices may include local area wireless technology permitting communication with other computing devices within a local area.
Handheld computing devices that include local area wireless capabilities may communicate with other computing devices using protocols or standards such as but not limited to Bluetooth wireless technology, IEEE 802.11 architecture, or other relevant technologies or standards. Local area wireless communications are typically between devices located proximate one another, such as within twenty meters. The communication signals sent between the computing devices are typically radio frequency (RF) signals but may also include infrared or ultrasonic signals.
While handheld computing devices that include local area wireless communication capability may communicate with each other, they may also communicate with computing devices connected to land lines, such as a wired local area network access point, or other hardwired computing devices. Further, the wireless handheld computing devices may share information with other types of wireless electronic devices such as cellular phones or laptop computers.
Local area wireless communication capability permits computing devices to communicate and share information such as files with one another without the use of a wired or cellular network. Sharing information may involve one or both of transmitting and receiving information. A local area wireless connection may be used to interface with a wired computer network or to browse the internet utilizing a nearby computing device that is connected to the internet. Further, documents, business cards, computer files, and even voice communications may be communicated between multiple computing devices that are linked together in a wireless local area network. Further still, local wireless connectivity permits the synchronization of various computing devices such as handheld computers, cellular phones, and laptops without the use of wired connections or more complicated wireless computing protocols such as those used by cellular phones.
In order for handheld computing devices to communicate with one another and other computing devices via local area wireless technologies, the various devices and their users of ten desire to be able to accept or decline messages that are received, and preferably target outgoing messages to particular receiving devices, rather than indiscriminately broadcasting communications to all proximate wireless computing devices.
One way for computing devices to more selectively communicate with one another is for the user to select the device or devices to which a communication should be made prior to sending the communication. The device may then send the communication such that it is received only by the chosen computing devices rather than all computing devices within range of the transmitted signal. The number of computing devices within range of a computing device with a wireless transmitter may be large given the rapidly increasing use of local area wireless technologies and the long range of RF signals as compared to the infrared signals used by earlier devices.
Permitting the user to choose the local computing devices with which information should be shared presents difficulties if the number of possible receiving devices is large. A typical method of presenting the possible choices to the user would be to list the devices on a display associated with the user's handheld computer. The user may then scroll through the list or use a stylus to tap on the desired devices to which the user wishes to transmit information. However, as the number of possible devices grow large, the action required by the user becomes more cumbersome, as it may be necessary to scroll through a long list of local area devices, and choose one or more of them. Further, it may not be immediately apparent to the user which nearby computing device corresponds to the indicator shown on the user's computer device, making the selection more difficult.
Therefore, there is a need for a handheld computing device with local area wireless technology that permits the user to more easily choose other computing devices in the local area with which the user wishes to communicate. Further, there is a need for a more logical approach to selecting a group of one or more devices to which a wireless communication should be sent without individually selecting each device from a list.
The teachings herein extend to those embodiments that fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the above-mentioned needs.